you talked about him like he hung the damn moon—but still spent your nights with every omega who offered. I just... I don't get what suddenly changed." "I—" Jungkook started, but she wasn't finished. "And don't get me wrong," she added, voice quick and blunt,

"I am glad you are trying to be better. Really. But knowing you, Jungkook… I worry your omega is gonna get his heart broken at least once before you figure it all out." There was a beat of silence, and then Jungkook's voice came out low,

rough with disbelief. "Are you saying I'd cheat on him?" Eri exhaled like she didn't want to be having this conversation either. "I am saying... you haven't exactly had a great track record. You move on instinct. Lust. Guilt. You confuse them all."

The conversation was starting to give Jungkook a headache. Nothing good was coming from it—just doubts and frustration swirling in his mind. Between him and Taehyung, as married couples, things were already complicated enough. He didn't want to entertain any more

questions or doubts right now. He rubbed his forehead,trying to push the frustration down. "Eri, I am cutting this off," he said,voice tight. "I don't want to think about any of this right now. Just... bye." And he really did end the call—before she could say a word in return.

He let the phone drop beside him on the bed. With a sigh, he sank back onto the mattress and stared up at the ceiling. But Eri's words kept spinning in his head. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥'𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵.

That line spun circles in his mind, loud and relentless. He hated how it dug under his skin, how it made his chest ache. Because now, for the first time in a while, he was starting to wonder... Would Taehyung have given him a chance back then?

Jungkook knew the truth. Taehyung hated him—for cornering him into a marriage he never asked for, for blackmailing him into it. It was a truth Jungkook couldn't deny, no matter how much he wished things could be different now.

He should have gone after him from the beginning. From the first moment he saw him. From the day he swore to make him his omega—he should have done it the right way. Gently. Honestly. With love. Because maybe, just maybe, Taehyung would have said yes on his own.

Maybe they would've had something real. Something with love in it. But now? It was too late. He couldn't sit here thinking about what could've been. It wouldn't change anything. Jungkook closed his eyes and let out a long breath, trying to quiet his head. One minute passed.

Then another. And then—his eyes snapped open. "Shit," he mumbled, sitting up fast. He'd forgotten. Taehyung's still in the bathroom. He was off the bed in an instant, already halfway to the door.

He walked fast, practically jogging down the hallway to the bathroom. Everything looked normal from the outside—no smoke, no strange noises—but that didn't mean much. He knocked on the door, a little harder than he meant to. "Hyung?" The honorific slipped out in a rush.

He pressed his ear slightly closer to the door. No answer. "Hyung, you good in there?" he asked again, knocking a little firmer this time. Jungkook's chest tightened. He was just about to knock one more time when the door creaked open from the inside.

But Taehyung wasn't standing in front of him. Jungkook blinked, confused. The omega was hiding behind the door. "Taehyung?" he started, voice low with concern—but then he caught sight of the corner of the bathroom, and stopped.

In the corner, the old gamasot had cracked clean down the side. Water had spilled out, dripping into the fire chamber below. Wet wood hissed beneath the pot, and thick, sooty smoke was still curling from the hearth, the room smelling like burnt ash and steam.

The floor was damp in places, and the heat had already warped the edge of the wooden stool Taehyung must have used. Taehyung's voice came quietly from behind the door, sounding both irritated and a little embarrassed. "It cracked. I didn't even do anything."

Jungkook didn't want any explanation—he just wanted to see Taehyung. He stepped forward, eyes quickly scanning him. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" Taehyung finally turned to fully face him, frustration flickering in his expression as he pointed

toward the mess behind him. "I'm not hurt. But I really didn't do anything—it just cracked." Jungkook followed his gaze, taking in the broken gamasot, the spilled water, the smoke still lingering in the air. He exhaled sharply. "Of course it cracked," he muttered,

more to himself. "It's a hundred-year-old pot, Taehyung. And with the amount of wood you shoved in there, the heat probably spiked too fast. The metal couldn't take it." Then his voice dropped, rougher now—more shaken. "But that's not what matters.

You could've gotten seriously hurt in there." He ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated—at himself more than anything. "I feel like an idiot for leaving you alone with it." Jungkook was still caught up in his thoughts, guilt simmering under his skin,

when Taehyung spoke up. "You're worried about me?" The question pulled him out of it. His eyes snapped to Taehyung's, and for a second, he just stared—like the answer should've been obvious. Then he let out a short breath, not quite a scoff, not quite a sigh.

"Of course I'm worried about you," he said, voice lower now, but no less intense. "You're my omega. You think I wouldn't be?" And to Jungkook's confusion, all Taehyung did was let out a quiet scoff. Jungkook blinked. "What?"

"Nothing," Taehyung said, then after a beat added, "I just found your concern a bit… odd. Considering I still remember you bruising my wrist that night. Outside my house. When you came blackmailing me." Jungkook's jaw clenched, guilt flashing across his face—

but just as quickly, he tried to defend himself. "I didn't mean to hurt you," he said, voice low, almost desperate. "I was angry. You were rejecting me. I—I lost control for a second. It wasn't supposed to go like that."

Taehyung didn't interrupt, just stood there, watching him. "And it wouldn't have even happened," Jungkook went on, frustration creeping in now, "if you had just agreed to marry me then. If you hadn't kept pushing me away."

He hadn't meant to sound so defensive—it slipped out more like a reflex. A poor attempt to shift some of the weight off his shoulders. A way to say, it wasn't all on me. But even as the words settled in the air, he could tell they didn't land well.

Taehyung rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Jungkook," he muttered, already turning back toward the mess behind him. "I still have to take a bath, so you can go." Jungkook opened his mouth, wanting to say something—anything—to make the omega understand that he hadn't meant to bruise

him hand, and that just now, he truly had been worried about him. But he stopped himself. Every time he tried to explain, Taehyung only pushed back harder. And maybe he had the right to. So instead, he muttered, "There's no hot water left. How are you even going to take a bath?"

"That's none of your business," Taehyung shot back, not even looking at him. "Now get out." Jungkook hesitated. "I could try to—" "Look, Jungkook," Taehyung cut in, exasperated now. "It's already near midnight. I'm tired. I just want to wash up and sleep. So, just go."

Jungkook looked at him for a moment longer, then nodded wordlessly. Without another word, he stepped out of the bathroom and went straight to their room. Once inside, he didn't wait for Taehyung to come back. He didn't even sit down to think.

He just pulled off his hoodie in one motion, tossed it aside, and crawled into bed. And with his back turned to the door, Jungkook shut his eyes.

— Morning light filtered softly through the single window in the room, casting a warm glow right onto Jungkook's face. He stirred, eyes heavy with sleep, and instinctively turned the other way, stretching his arms lazily across the bed. But instead of the cold, flat mattress

beneath his hands, he felt something warm and curvy. Confused, Jungkook kept his eyes closed and let his hand roam over the shape. In his mind, a blurry picture of Taehyung popped up—lying right next to him, those sharp almond eyes quietly watching him.

Jungkook's hand moved slowly over the smooth skin, taking it all in like he was really there. His fingers slid down to Taehyung's waist, then back up, and before he knew it, he gripped tighter, hoping maybe this time he'd finally hear the soft moan he'd been waiting for.

But then, his fantasy was shattered by a sharp, annoyed voice. "Get your hands off me, you shameless wolf!" Jungkook's eyes flew open, heart jumping, to find Taehyung glaring at him, hand already grabbing his wrist and pushing it away firmly. Jungkook quickly pushed himself up,

rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, still a bit foggy. Taehyung's voice came sharp and accusing. "What were you doing? Don't you have any manners?" Jungkook blinked, still foggy from sleep, trying to piece together what had just happened. "I—uh, I didn't know you

were sleeping on the bed... I just—" But Taehyung cut him off, voice sharp. "You didn't know? Are you serious, Jungkook? Where else do you think I was going to sleep? You see any other space in this room besides the bed?" Jungkook looked around, his mind finally clearing.

Yeah, there really wasn't any other place for Taehyung to sleep. But honestly, he had no idea Taehyung was actually going to share the bed with him. So he just said, a little embarrassed as he remembered what he was just doing, "I didn't think... you'd actually sleep with me."

"I didn't sleep with you," Taehyung snapped. "I was on the edge—not even in your space. And you still managed to grope me." Jungkook's eyes widened at the word. "I didn't grope you—at least not knowingly! I didn't realize you were actually there.

It was a misunderstanding, okay? I'm sorry." "I don't believe you," Taehyung said, eyes narrowing. "You knew I was here. You just saw a chance to take advantage of me sleeping next to you." Jungkook sat up straighter, the sleep fully gone from his face now. "What? No Taehyung,